Larry

I never wanted a step-dad.

I never wanted a step-dad, but I'm forever grateful that I have you, Larry Grekoff.

There are many reasons why I admire and appreciate you but I want to tell you a few.  It's hard to whittle it down to a few, but I will try.  Also, I'm writing this down so that I can compose my thoughts.  My life's work is spoken words but when I saw you last I couldn't think of how to best say all this.

First, I will be forever grateful for the way you and Mom rescued your marriage.  In the first few years of your marriage you both repeated bad habits.  It was not good.  Neither of you can hold all the blame but I know there are things you both know should have gone better.  But you stepped up as a man with my mom to rescue it.  Mom told me about how you said that you both needed to make God your priority in your marriage.  I watched as you treated her better and better.  You treated her as well as she deserved at times and, more importantly, better than she deserved at others.  Thank you for showing us all what it takes.  Thank you for being a gentle warrior.  Thank you for growing as a man in front of us.

Thank you for always honoring my dad.  I have never in the twenty years of knowing you heard you say anything negative about my dad.  You, in fact, have uttered more glowing words about your wife's ex-husband than perhaps any man in history.  I don't think you'll ever know what that means to Maggie, Patrick and I.  You are a man of honor.

Thank you for teaching me how to organize vacations around favorite places to eat and baseball games in town.  I hope my kids enjoy those Summer days as much we all did.

Most of all, thank you for loving us.  I didn't ever want a step-dad, but I thank God for giving you to us.  My mom got a wonderful husband, my kids got a lovable Papa and I got another great man to emulate and be totally loved by.

On your birthday you told me two things and I promise not to forget them.  You told me to make my family a priority.  I will.  I will raise your grandchildren right.  I will love them.  You also told me to make a Kingdom difference in the lives of others.  I will do my best to leave a mark for the Kingdom and to touch the lives of others.

These two things are likely the last two things you'll ever say to me.  I will treasure them because you deserve that.  And I will treasure them because these last words show your true heart.  Larry, we all will never forget that you love your family and we'll never forget that you tried to make a Kingdom difference in the lives of others.

Your last words also were a loud sermon to our 15 year-old foster son.  He heard them loud and clear.  As we drove away he wanted to talk about what you had to say.  I shared with him about how all the stuff in the world can't measure up to those two things you wanted to share.  I shared with him that those are the things that real men value.  In your weakness He was strong and your words won't return void to me or to that young man.

Larry, we love you.  I love you.